A month after being terminated by the Astana Qazaqstan team and one week into his tenure with the Colombian Continental team Medellin EPM, Miguel Angel López soared to victory in the first edition of the Clásica de Villeta, a national-level race held in the Cundinamarca Department near the Colombian capital Bogatá.
"It is an honor to be in Villeta sharing with cycling lovers. I enjoyed the race. I'm with my family and that makes me feel good," López said according to El Tiempo.
'Superman' attacked on the key climb, the Alto del Trigo, and left behind new Burgos-BH recruit Andrés Camilo Ardila to solo to the victory. The 93.5-kilometre race was made of a hilly 19-lap circuit with the finale atop the 2.3-kilometre climb.
Behind Camilo Ardila, Oscar Sevilla gave Medellin-EPM a second podium placing by out-sprinting Yesid Sierra.
Medellin-EPM sports director José Julián Velásquez was credited with a post to the team's Twitter page that read: "First of many this year, 'Supermán'. Congratulations on your victory in the Clásica de Villeta, our preparation for the Vuelta a San Juan is on the right track."
In the Vuelta a San Juan next week, López will have the awkward position of racing against some of his former teammates as both Astana and Movistar will be on the start line along with other WorldTour teams Ineos Grenadiers, Soudal-Quickstep, Bora-Hansgrohe, Team DSM, and Trek-Segafredo.
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Astana Qazaqstan first suspended López in August for alleged links to Dr. Marcos Maynar Mariño, who was arrested in May for alleged crimes of drug trafficking and money laundering.
The team was then obliged to end his suspension as the investigation continued, stating: “Based on the information received, Astana Qazaqstan Team was advised that in the absence of any finding by either the Spanish authorities or the UCI, it was not in a position to continue the suspension or further deprive the rider of his contractual rights."
In November, López said he extended his contract with Astana, but then, on 13 December, the team cited "new facts" of the investigation they said left them with "no other solution than to end the contract ... with immediate effect."
One day after the team dismissed López, they signalled interest in signing Mark Cavendish, who had been left in the wind by the collapse of the Pineau brothers' B&B Hotels project.
López, in a statement through his attorney, said that there had not been any new information in the case, and said this week, "I have nothing to repent about because I’ve not doped, my biological passport is clean."
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